Raven
by PhantomInvader
Summary: Au winged!Danny. What is it like to not know why you exist, or if you should even exist at all? Danny needed to find out the answers, but he had no idea how dangerous the journey would be, or what kinds of things he would find on the way. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Guess what, guys? I know some people don't like Neko!Danny, so I decided to try something else (Just for fun) to see what writing Winged!Danny. I didn't see one of these on here! I saw one on dA that inspired me, and if there are any fics that have Winged!Danny, please point them out to me, would ya?**

**So, this will remain a oneshot, because I REALLY need to work on the stories I am (or SHOULD be) committed to, but a good writer never lets an idea slip away.**

**- - - -**

_I don't know who I am..._

He sat there in his tower, the uneven stone floor cold on his aching joints as he stared out of the window at what lay beneath him. Heavy lidded blue eyes watched the blackened fields as the wind carried the scent of charred wood to meet him. It didn't matter that the sky was a cloudy, sightless gray. He would give anything to be up there, rather than in here.

A prisoner.

His glossy black wings rustled as the icy breeze blew back his hair slightly, the same black as his wings, messed up and dirty with time.

His pale hand reached over the window, feeling the open air cool against his fingers, and he contemplated jumping.

No.

He wouldn't die, but he was trapped here. He was supposed to feel trapped.

_"That is the only way you will learn."_

That was what master had said. He was a sin. He was a fallen, rejected for nearing God's domain. Now he was lucky, he had been told, to have any place to call home.

_'Home...'_

He rolled the word in his mind, not understanding it. Home wasn't really a word he had known. He couldn't grasp the concept.

This was merely shelter, and his master, was just that. A master. An owner.

Not a father.

He stretched his wings, cramped from the lack of space. There wasn't enough room in this place, not for his wings, fourteen feet across.

Perfect for flying.

Yes...he wanted to fly. He wanted to escape, and he wanted freedom.

_I don't know where I belong..._

He heard footsteps approach the door to his tower, and he stiffened, closing his eyes as the door opened. It was his master. A tall man with slicked back silver hair, and piercing blue eyes, small and focused. He wore a fine tailored suit that fit his lifestyle, living in this castle alone.

Well, not entirely alone.

The man spoke, his voice cool and smug. "You would like to fly." It wasn't a question.

The boy nodded silently, turning his gaze back to the window.

"I will let you, if you stay where I can see you."

The boy tried to hide the joy he felt, and he looked at the sky again, trying not to smile.

"Go on then," The man continued. "Before I change my mind, boy."

The boy nodded. "Thank you...Vlad."

- - - -

The boy pushed off with his wings feeling the wind smooth his feathers as he surveyed the charred landscape. He felt so free, so alive. He had to make it last.

He continued on, farther and farther from the castle, breathing deeply as the air became cleaner.

_'Free...'_

- - - -

Samantha gathered her tools once again as she headed out of her house, trowel and watering can in hand.

Someone had to make this place look good again.

Ever since the forest fire, nothing had been the same. But Sam knew the ground was ready for new life, and so she set to work.

Her amethyst eyes were focused as she dug hole after hole, planting flowers of all kinds. Bluebells, pansies, violets, and lillies.

She smirked at the memory of her mother, disgusted at Sam's desire to get her hands dirty only for the sake of "worthless plants". Sam shook her head. The plants were far from worthless.

She watered every plot and smiled. Now all she had to do was wait. She closed her eyes, not noticing as the shadow came over her and landed in a charred tree until she heard it.

"Hurt..."

She looked up, eyes wide at the creature in the tree. A boy with icy blue eyes and hair dark enough to rival her own. Dressed completely in black, almost like her, this was not the thing that caught her eye.

He had _wings._ He handed _landed_ in the tree. He had been _flying._

And no matter how odd his wings were, she could not draw herself away from his eyes.

- - - -

The boy had flown too far. He knew that, but he didn't stop. He couldn't have stopped.

The chip implanted in his wing had decided when he would stop, sending a shock through his left wing and causing him to land in a tree with little cover.

"Hurt..." He murmured sadly, knowing he had blown his chance. He didn't notice anything or anyone as he tried to move his wing to no avail.

He heard the snap of a twig and looked up sharply, spying a girl. He wished he could have flown away right then.

She was staring at him, a mixture of shock and awe present in her violet eyes as she stopped stepping forward as she had been doing before. She wore a black muscle shirt and a black skirt than went down to her knees, and her hands appeared dirty, as though she had been digging.

They stared at each other a moment longer, until she spoke.

"Hello?" She said uncertainly, as though asking if he knew how to speak. He did, but not well.

He said nothing.

"You hurt?" She asked, seeming surprised at how calm she sounded. The boy nodded, and she stepped closer. When he didn't move away, she finally stepped up to the tree he sat in.

"Wing..." He said hoarsely, his voice having not often been used.

"Let me see." The girl said as she brushed her fingers along his wing in awe, and her touch soothed him a bit, for reasons he didn't know. "My name is Sam," She continued, "What's yours?"

He paused. Name? Did he have a name? No. He didn't know his name. "Name. One of those...I do not have..." He said quietly.

Surprisingly, Sam nodded, as if suspecting as much. "Well that won't do," She said finally, rubbing his wing where was sore, he smiled a bit. That felt nice. "We'll just have to get you one."

"Get me...name?"

"Yup."

The boy smiled as she appeared to be deep in thought. "Your name will be Daniel." She said finally.

"Daniel..." He rolled the name around in his mouth, liking it.

"I will call you Danny." She added, and in spite of himself, he grinned. He liked that better.

"Does that feel better?" Sam asked as she let go of his wing. It felt much better.

"Yes..." He murmured. He stood up, stretching his wings. He looked down at Sam. "Thank you...Sam." This time he meant every word.

"You're welcome. Come back and visit me, Danny."

Danny frowned, then smiled. "I will." He promised. _'I will find a way.' _he thought.

Sam slowly smiled, and hopped out of the tree as he took off. Her eyes didn't leave him until he faded into the distance.

_I don't know who I am_

_I don't know where I belong_

_I am a sin against nature..._

_But my name...is Danny._

- - - -

**Well, that's all I have. I need to get better at descriptions. you may or may not see it, but it bugs the hell outta me.**

**As for the last part...Well, Sam always struck me as an outgoing and helpful person, so just because Danny has wings, she's not going to just avoid him. She wants to help him, because he is anything but normal, and so is she, in a way.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I felt I needed to update ONE of my old stories. I chose this one.**

* * *

Danny gazed out of the window of his tower, his blue eyes taking in the site of cloudy skies, and his ears listening intently to each drop of rain, as though they might whisper something to him. Reaching his hand out of the window, which was easy to do, as it had no glass to block him from the outside world. Danny liked the rain; its smell, its tiny, whispering sound, and the feeling of it on his skin, soothing the skin on his hands that had grown raw from touching the jagged stones that made up his tiny chamber. The sound of the rain pleased Danny the most, he liked to hear anything other than the crushing silence he had been forced to tolerate most of his life.

This thought alone reminded him of Sam, and at ones his wings unfurled as much as they could, as though willing him to go see her again. He smiled. Sam was nice to him, nicer than anyone he had ever known; this, of course, wasn't too impressive. Her could count how many people he knew on one hand, and…still have three fingers left over.

Gazing once more at his fingers, his blue eyes traveled down the length of his arms to examine the fresh lacerations that had been given to him, covering the jagged stripes of old scars that had nearly healed. He wanted to go see Sam again, but he got in so much trouble when he did. Master didn't like to be disobeyed, and he made sure Danny knew it. In fact, when he'd told Master that he had gotten a name, his punishment had grown more horrible than he could have even imagined. He was sure the scar that now stretched across his right was proof. Master had made it hurt to even blink.

But still, the desire to see Sam again won over any fear he had of his Master. In fact, the idea of defying any of his Master's orders sent a rush of excitement through him that he could not explain. Finding new ways to escape and trying to remain unseen was exhilarating, and it was all worth it in the end.

Every time he would see Sam, she would tell him a story. She knew a bunch of them, and Danny hung on her every word, because he had never heard such things before. Finally pulling his hand back into his prison, he listened to the downpour outside and remembered.

* * *

"Did you hear the story of Snow White?"

"I have not," Danny had answered Sam as they sat in the very same tree in which they had first met. Danny liked to listen to her voice. It was smooth and strange to him, unlike his Master's rough voice. He liked it.

"Well, there once was a girl named Snow White, and she was beautiful. She was more beautiful than the queen of the land, the fairest of them all. The queen was jealous of this, and ordered a huntsman to go and kill Snow White, but she got away, and she found the home of Seven Dwarfs, and she stays to rest. They take pity on her, and tell her if she cooks, cleans, and keeps everything neat, then she can stay. Then, the queen goes to her magic mirror and asks who is the fairest of them all, and she's horrified to find out that Snow white is Still alive, and she is _still _the fairest of them all."

Danny nodded, intrigued by the story.

"The queen then disguises herself as an old hag, and sells Snow White a poison apple, which puts her to sleep, and the dwarves find her but they can't wake her up. They tried and tried, but she was in too deep."

Danny frowned, "that's a sad story."

"Let me finish," Sam chastised him, and he blinked, "the dwarfs put her in a glass coffin, and a prince wandering through the land sees it, and he walks up to it and looks at Snow White. He falls in love with her right then and there, and he kisses her, and then she wakes up. They get married and live happily ever after."

Danny looked confused, and he gazed at Sam intently, "what does "falling in love" mean?"

"Huh," Sam put her hand to her chin in thought, "it's just…I guess when you really like someone, and you want to be with them forever, no matter what. You can't stop thinking about them."

The ebony-haired boy nodded and extended his wings the slightest bit, realizing he had to leave her once again.

"I must go," he stared at the red tinted clouds that covered the setting sun, and then towards the sky directly above him, blinking as a raindrop hit his eyes. The scarred one didn't hurt quite as much anymore; Sam had put something on it to make it feel better, the same as she did with the rest of his cuts. Sam frowned as he stood up, and she slowly rose to her feet as well, almost losing her balance on the branch as she did so. Danny grabbed her hand and steadied her, and her fingers light brushed his feathers before she stood back to let him take off.

"Thank you for the story," he smiled.

"Come see me again," Sam told him, just like every time he had left.

"I will," he told her. Just like always.

* * *

Danny's cheek met the jagged rock wall as he was struck by Master's powerful arm. Master's red eyes were enraged, and his gaze bore holes right through Danny's skin.

"Where were you?!" Danny didn't answer, his eyes heavy lidded. The pain he had felt so often slowly began to turn to a dull, numb ache on the side of his face.

"Answer me, boy! What were you doing out there!?" Master shouted once more.

Danny remembered Sam's story, and all that she had taught him, and how badly he wanted to see her every day. His Master's yells began to grow fuzzy as Danny began to get lost in his own thoughts.

"_It's just…I guess when you really like someone, and you want to be with them forever, no matter what. You can't stop thinking about them."_

Danny turned back to his master, but he remained silent. He braced himself for his punishment, and listened to the curses and venom that were spat at him.

"You are a sin against nature! Do you think you could survive out there?! Do you think you could last one day without me? I, the one who took your damned soul into my home? Tell me, what have you been doing?!"

Danny fell to the ground, curling into a ball as the lashes of the leather whip began to take affect.

"Answer me!"

Danny didn't look up, but an unnoticeable smile appeared on his lips for a split second.

'_Falling in love.' _He admitted; but only to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm making this into a story, I suppose.**

**Heeeeere's Tucker!**

**--Phanny**

**

* * *

**Danny gazed at Sam from high up in his usual tree, a hint of fear in his eyes. Had she betrayed him? Why would she bring…_him _to meet him?

"Woah," The new boy, Tucker, said in awe. "I thought you were pullin' my leg, Sam, but…woah."

Sam smiled at him, as though trying to reassure Danny that he was all right. "See? He's not going to hurt you, Danny. Not everyone is bad."

Danny didn't come down, shaking his head stubbornly. The new boy had seemingly come from nowhere. Sam's house was in the center of a grassy moor, and any other homes were either nonexistent or very far away.

Tucker looked at Sam, nonplussed, and she gestured for him to do something. Tucker didn't look like he understood, but he tried.

"Hey, kid." Danny tilted his head in confusion as Tucker spoke. No one had called him 'kid' before.

Tucker raised up his hands. "I got nothin'. I don't have anything I could hurt you with, see?"

After one more moment of hesitation, Danny scanned the hills before slowly lowering himself down from the tree.

"He's got trust issues." Sam explained.

"No kidding," Tucker replied, "bad family?"

Danny shook his head, even though the question hadn't been directed toward him.

"More like _no _family." Sam said, disgust clear in her voice, "just an old guy who uses him as a punching bag."

Tucker cringed at the thought, and he turned back to Danny. "Why don't you leave?"

Danny looked away. "Nowhere else to go. He finds me if I hide."

"And _that _is why I brought you here," Sam said to Tucker, who glanced at her strangely, "_you _are going to help me hide him _and _protect him."

Danny's eyes widened in alarm. These people were so nice, it warmed him to know they wanted to help, but he couldn't let them do this. Vlad didn't like someone taking something that he owns.

"No." Danny looked at them. "He'll find me, and he'll hurt you. He doesn't like people stealing."

"For the last time," as much as Sam liked Danny, she was frustrated with his way of thinking. "He does not _own _you. You're not like money or jewelry."

"Wait, wait, wait," Tucker interrupted, "from what he says, he can't hide from this guy. What makes you think two teenagers can do to help?"

"You don't want to help him?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Of course I do!" Tucker told her, "I just don't think you've thought this through, Sam!"

Danny watched the two argue, his wings tucked close around him to shelter him from the wind. The boy was right. Nothing could stop Vlad. He was powerful, he didn't care who he hurt, he didn't care about anything. He could destroy the nearby village with one hand behind his back, and he wouldn't bat an eyelash.

Suddenly, a burning shock went through Danny's left wing, and he collapsed in pain. He didn't scream, he'd been taught not to, but his grunts of agony and the tears of pain pricking his eyes were enough to tell Sam and Tucker that something was wrong.

"What's happening? What's wrong with him?" Tucker knelt down next to him, panicking. Danny could scarcely hear him, and he barely felt that Sam had knelt down as well and lifted him up and had him in a tight embrace, trying to soothe him.

"His master knows he's gone, that's what's wrong!" Sam's voice sounded panicked as well, "we've got to get him out of here!"

"Where do we put him?" As Tucker spoke, Danny felt the burning sensation fade and the pain leach away slowly. He looked up at both teens with watery eyes.

"Anywhere," he told them, his voice weak, "no more."

---

Near Sam's home was a small, decrepit barn that was owned by her parents, but scarcely used as it was deemed "beyond repair". The wood was splintered, and what little white paint was still intact was slowly peeling away. The structure creaked in the wind, but it was still shelter, and if someone were to hide in there, no one would find them.

And so Danny was tiredly looking at Tucker and Sam, who were trying to decide where to go from there.

"I think there's some sort of chip in his wing that his master uses to hurt him," Sam was telling Tucker, who, as Danny had recently discovered, was fairly good with technology considering how hard it was to find out here. The biggest lab was in Vlad's castle, and no one ever went there. "Do you think you could deactivate it or something?"

"I don't know," Tucker admitted, "I'd have to know exactly where it is."

Without a word, Danny extended his wing to let Tucker inspect it. The boy ran his finger along it until her felt something out of the ordinary.

"I think it's here," Tucker said. He pulled out an odd device, and Danny flinched. Only Vlad had things like that.

"No, no," Sam soothed him, "he's gonna help you."

"I'm gonna try," Tucker corrected her. He had placed a wire on the chip in Danny's wing, sticking it there with a clear plastic disk that stuck to the feathers. He fiddled with the device attached to the other end of the wire. "I haven't seen anything like this before. It's got layers and layers of encryption here, like this guy _knew _someone would try to hack into it."

"But you'll do it, right?" Sam asked worriedly, "you can do it?"

"'Course I can," Tucker seemed almost insulted, "it just might take a little longer than I thought."

Suddenly, Danny lifted his head. He had heard a voice.

"Danny, what--" Danny placed his hand over Sam's mouth, and gestured with his head towards the barn door. Soon enough, all three teens heard approaching footsteps.

"Sammy? Sammy are you in here?"

Danny's body tensed, and he hauled himself slowly off of his makeshift hay bed. He looked around wildly, trembling.

_Stay or run, stay or run, stay or run?_

…_Stay?_

_

* * *

_**I suck. :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi. Read this.**

**--Phanny  
**

* * *

The door to the barn creaked open, and Tucker helped Danny move as far away from the widening shaft of light as was possible. A woman with silvery gray hair tied up in a tight bun poked her head in, her eyes an almost watery shade of blue-gray that were full of warmth once she spotted Sam.

"Your parents are worried sick about you," the woman's voice cracked with age, "what are you doing in here?"

"Uhm," Sam struggled for an excuse, "I thought I heard something?" She knew that wouldn't do--any lame excuse sounded even lamer when it came out sounding like a question.

"You know, this thing is older than me," the woman said suddenly, "your mom and dad are dead set on the thought that it'll collapse right on top of you."

Sam sighed shaking her head. She knew she had to go with her grandmother back to the house, hearing the things she said.

"But they worry too much," Sam's grandmother continued, "I say if it's lasted through as many storms as it has so far, it'll be up for awhile. Now, what are you _really _doing in here?"

"Uh," Sam searched for some believable words, "Tucker and I were…"

Danny flinched. If Sam couldn't come up with a lie, she'd to go in, wouldn't she? She'd have to leave. It was kind of comforting, knowing Sam would keep him a secret. Danny felt Tucker move away from him to help Sam, and Danny drew his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them, thinking. Tucker went to help Sam because she's his friend. Friends help each other, he thought. They try to keep each other out of trouble.

Danny was their friend too…at least Sam's. He liked Sam. He didn't want Sam in trouble.

"Listen, we were just…" Sam looked at Danny. Danny met her eyes, silently nodding to himself.

"Taking…care of me." Danny murmured, his voice shaking. Three people know about him now--he was just getting them in _more _trouble. Vlad would hurt them, Vlad would kill them but…if he did, Danny thought they should know who to blame. They should know who to hate.

Sam's grandmother's eyes were drawn to him, and she stared. Danny looked at her blankly--he was used to stares.

"Nana, you--you can't tell mom or dad, okay?" Sam looked at Danny, shocked that he had given himself away so easily, "he's hiding. We're hiding him."

"I understand that," Sam's Grandmother told her granddaughter, still staring intently at Danny as he spread his wings slightly, "you're hiding from _him _aren't you?" She asked the winged boy.

The word 'him' had been spoken in a mixed tone of fear and hate, and Danny nodded. There was only one person around that could make someone feel that combination of emotions so strongly.

"Well," the old woman told him, "seems my granddaughter's knack for trouble has gotten her into quite a mess here."

"My fault," Danny said firmly, "I disobeyed him--he's mad. He'll come looking for me. He'll destroy everything."

"You see, there he goes again," Sam sighed in frustration, "that guy's gone as far as to make him feel guilty for _existing_. Not everything is your fault. I've been telling you that for _days_."

"_Days_?" Sam's grandmother repeated, "you've known him for how long? Was this ever going to reach my ears, Sammy?"

"No," Sam said honestly, "I promised."

""I should leave," Danny interrupted, "I don't want to go back…but if I do he won't hurt you…"

"No," the old woman said surprisingly, "you've escaped him--you're one of the few of his 'children', if that's what he likes to call the poor things, that has. You're out, you'll stay out, but yes, you can't stay here. None of you can."

"Danny said he'll find us wherever we go," Tucker finally spoke up.

"He'll try," Sam's grandmother told him, "but there is one place, though very far from here, where he will not go."

Danny looked at her in surprise, waiting to hear.

"It's a place called Amity Park."

"How do you know all this?" Sam asked in surprise.

"This barn is older than me," the woman said, "but that doesn't mean I'm not pretty darn old. I've seen and learned a lot of things, Sammy." She sighed before continuing, "I'll give you a map if I can find it, and then you'll have to leave."

Danny met Sam and Tucker's eyes as Sam's grandmother exited the barn. They were all silent until Tucker spoke.

"Huh," he mused, "road trip."

* * *

Danny had never walked for such a long time. It made his legs tired, but it would be less noticeable than if he flew, and Sam and Tucker weren't as fast anyway.

Speaking of Sam and Tucker, they were arguing. Again.

Neither of them could read the map that Sam's grandmother had given them, but it really didn't matter at the moment. All three of them could look at it to find out where they were and notice that the first stretch of their journey would take place in the middle nowhere. Fields of dry grass crunched beneath his feet, and there were no trees or rocks in sight, just barren, open landscape. Danny hated it. Being out in the open disturbed him more than anything--there was nothing to hide under or behind. Though Sam had reassured him that it worked out in their favor, as no one could really sneak up on them, Danny still flinched at the slightest movement or breeze.

"So, we're close to a town when there's actually green stuff growing," Tucker said, "because there's a river. Then it says to follow the river until we get there."

Danny looked at the map, even though he could hardly read at all, "that's a long way."

"Yeah," Sam nodded, but it'll only take like half the day. Not a full day."

"Wow, yay for optimism," Tucker said dryly.

"Stop looking at the map," Sam sighed, "it'll just make it seem longer."

Tucker silently stuffed the map into the small bag he'd brought with him. It also included water, a little food, and that technical stuff he always had with him. The sight of shining metal still made Danny twitch, but Tucker used his things for better reasons than Vlad ever did. Tucker had successfully broken the chip in Danny's wing, and he'd been pain free for longer than he'd ever been before. The chip had also been a tracking device, meaning Vlad would now have a much harder time finding them.

They'd be walking for a long time, Danny thought, but he didn't have to do it alone. It was nice to have friends.


	5. Chapter 5

**So I posted a poll on my profile asking which story I should update first. This one won by a whopping three votes. Yay.**

**-Phanny**

**

* * *

**Danny, Sam, and Tucker had accomplished their first large goal right on time-find the river before it got too dark to walk any longer. They had actually found a cluster of trees that, though they provided little shelter, made them all feel safer and willing to rest.

"I don't like walking," Danny moaned, surprised his feet hadn't fallen off already. He didn't continue speaking, instead letting out a small groan.

"After today, I'm not too fond of it either," Tucker said. He looked over at Sam, who was scanning their map while clearly deep in thought.

"There's a town not too far from here," she murmured, "Elmerton. Right down the river. Tucker, how much money do we have?"

"I dunno," Tucker took a wad of bills from the bag, "around fifty, I guess. We're gonna buy food?"

"Sounds like a good idea. We'll buy Danny some new clothes, too," she said.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Danny asked. Sure, he was wearing a ratty black shirt and some jeans, but he was going for practicality, not style.

"Nothing, really," Sam admitted, "but you need a coat or something to hide your wings."

"Okay," Danny conceded. That didn't sound like a horrible idea. "I get to pick it out?"

"We'll see."

"That means no." Tucker muttered to him out of the corner of his mouth. Danny sighed and sat down in the grass beneath them. Sam filled her canteen in the river while Tucker lay flat on his back.

"I know the town _is _near by, but I _really _don't think I can make the trip," he groaned, obviously exhausted.

"Neither do I," Danny admitted.

"You boys have no stamina," Sam shook her head in mock disappointment. She was obviously exhausted as well. She wandered over to the two and sat down next to Danny, who was busily picking grass burrs from his wings.

"Here, let me help," she said, getting the ones he couldn't reach. He smiled, but his eyes were obviously focused on something else.

"I want to than you again for helping me," he murmured, looking at the sky, "but you realize how much trouble we'll be in if he finds us all, right?"

"If I cared about him, I wouldn't be out here," Sam insisted, "I'm here because I care about _you._"

Both of their faces turned a light shade of red for a moment, and Sam sputtered-

"S-so does Tuck," she nudged the boy's leg with her combat boot, "right Tuck?"

"Mhmm," Tucker was obviously half asleep at that moment.

"See?"

Danny wasn't used to smiling so much in one day. His cheeks were starting to hurt.

* * *

"Up and at 'em!"

Danny felt cold water hit his face and he sat upright immediately, coughing. Tucker did the same from right next him. Both boys looked up to see Sam grinning at them both and glared daggers at her.

"What the heck, Sam?" Tucker asked through gritted teeth. Danny was busy shaking water from his now slightly damp wings, flinging little droplets of water all around.

"Watch it!" Both of the others said, and Danny winced.

"Sorry…"

"It's fine," Sam smiled, "I'm a little more awake now. Anyway," she quickly put a serious look on her face, "today we head to town. Well, me and Tucker will. I was thinking it would be better if you stayed where you were a little less…noticeable."

Danny looked severely disappointed.

"Not the whole time! We'll get you some sort of jacket really fast and then you can come. Just as a promise, we won't have breakfast without you."

"What?" Tucker asked, his stomach growling, "this better be a quick shopping trip, Sam…"

"It will be if you don't whine, so come on," she said, pulling Tucker along, "see you in a bit, Danny!"

Danny just waved. He felt a little left out, but he was reassured by the fact that they were only doing it for his own good.

* * *

"I never thought I'd be hanging out with a kid in a trench coat," Tucker mused as they walked through the streets of Elmerton. Sure enough, a black trench coat was just enough to hide Danny's wings. He looked a bit hunch-backed, but compared to some of the other townspeople he was as normal as it was possible to be. Seriously, there was a man who looked to be nothing but a wad of hair that had just walked by.

"This place is weird," Danny said under his breath, and his friends nodded.

"Let's just find a market and get out of here," Sam muttered, pushing through a crowd and dragging her companions behind her. Finally they found one selling fruit, vegetables, meat, and live fish from the river.

Tucker eyed the meat, while Sam looked around at the produce, and Danny felt completely lost. Also, the market owner was looking at him oddly…

"Can we leave soon?" Danny said nervously. The man approached the trio.

"Anything I can get you kids?" He said with a low, strange voice that Danny _swore _he had heard before…

"Uh, no thank you," Sam said kindly, her smile a bit forced. Danny noticed she was now just picking out things randomly - she wasn't look for quality anymore, she was looking for a faster way to get away from there.

"Tucker, pick something that will keep and _get over here_," Sam said forcefully, and Tucker did as he was told. Danny didn't blame him - Sam was sometimes a little scary.

"Okay," Tucker said, "this will be all. How much?"

"Oh, children," the man laughed, though Danny didn't find anything funny, "your money will be no good here. You've brought me what I need."

Danny suddenly found himself being grabbed from behind, pressed into the man's body as a knife was held dangerously close to his throat. How did he get behind him so fast?

"Let him go!" Sam shouted, and Tucker, obviously not thinking that clearly, struggled to catch a fish from the nearby tank and throw it at Danny's captor. This fish fell down the man's shirt, and he dropped Danny in surprise.

"This way!" Sam shouted, running down an alleyway. All three hearts sank when they heard the man shout-

"Get him! He is the demon! He is the one that man is searching for!"

"How could they know about him already?" Tucker asked, panting.

"Who cares? We'll think about that later!" Sam said, looking at Danny, "listen, I know I said it wasn't a good idea before…since they already know-"

Danny was way ahead of her, having already removed his coat. Without any sort of warning he grasped the two around the waist and spread his wings. He struggled to lift off - he'd never carried so much weight with him before.

"Don't look down," he told them. Their feet left the ground, and they were airborne.


	6. Chapter 6

**And so, in the poll, Raven is still ahead with five votes, with All That Jazz coming in second with two.**

**So the other ones I'll get to later, I guess, though I have been brainstorming for Wandering Spirit lately.**

**-Phanny**

* * *

"I can't believe they know about you already," Sam said angrily, "we need to get to this Amity Park place fast. Tucker, where's the map?"

"Uh," Tucker was afraid to move around too much. They were a _long _way from the ground, "i-it's in my bag, can we look at it when we land?"

Danny hoped that would be soon. His wings were sore, he was exhausted, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could…

"Danny!" Sam said, but they had already hit the ground before Danny could register her voice. They slid on the tough terrain until friction brought them to a halt. Danny folded his wings, not moving his face from the dirt, and closed his eyes. He _knew _he didn't have the strength to keep them all in the air for very long. He felt someone shake him.

"Danny?" Sam asked nervously, "are you okay? Did something hit you?"

"No," he groaned, "just too much for me, I guess."

"Frankly I'm surprised he got us this far," Tucker shrugged, "can't imagine he's ever carried two people before."

"Haven't," Danny grunted in response, finally lifting himself from the ground and sitting up and wincing from the strain of just moving, "sorry."

"It's okay," they both said, and Sam continued, "you went for almost an hour without stopping, I think we must be pretty far away by now. Tucker, the map?"

"Oh, right," Tucker took the map from his bag and handed it to Sam, "I think they've stopped chasing us, right?"

"For now," Sam nodded, looking around cautiously, "but I don't want to stay here for too long. It's still light out, we can eat and rest and then get moving. It's gonna be inconvenient but I think we'd better avoid the other towns for now. Just until we get to the one we're looking for."

"But what about food and stuff?" Tucker asked. Sam sighed. He had a point.

"If we need it, only one person goes into town or something, I don't know, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Tucker, do you know how to make a fire?"

"Sure," Tucker said, and began doing so, "let's make some food!"

"Just cook off that meat you got before it spoils. _I _don't want any part of it, but you can share with Danny and I'll eat something else. We need fuel."

Danny admired Sam's take-charge demeanor ever since he met her that one day in her garden. She was pretty, too…

'_Darn it! There's not time for that sort of thinking, Danny!' _He thought to himself angrily. He didn't have time to confess himself to her when they were on the run! What if she felt the same way, though? He couldn't help wanting to find out…

"Danny?" Sam tilted her head curiously. It took Danny a moment to realize she'd been calling his name for awhile now. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah!" He said, his smile forced, "great. Uhm, did you want something?"

"I was going to see if I could find some water around here. Stay here and help Tucker, all right?"

"But…" he began to protest. He didn't want her going off all alone. Even though they were in a well-sheltered clearing of a small forest, he still felt paranoid that something was out to get them.

"No buts," Sam said, "you look pretty beat. Make sure Tucker doesn't burn the trees down."

Danny frowned. He wasn't _that _tired. He got up in an attempt to show her so, but he winced as he did so. He wasn't that tired, but his muscles were pretty sore judging by the way they practically screamed in protest with sudden movements.

"Sit," Sam said dryly. Danny sort of obeyed - he didn't _sit_ so much as fall over. Tucker couldn't keep himself from snickering.

* * *

Despite their best efforts to save time, it was almost sundown by the time the teens were done eating and resting. Danny smiled happily - he didn't remember the last time he'd had a good meal, much less a hot one.

"It'd be better if we traveled at night anyway," Sam was saying, and Danny had to admit she was right.

"Saaam…" Tucker groaned, looking honestly tired, "I know it's a good idea too but…Danny got us pretty far today, plus we've found a good place with shelter and water nearby…let's not push our luck. We probably won't have it this good for awhile after this."

Sam conceded at those words - Tucker had an equally valid point. It was better to have a sheltered place to stay the night than to wander around aimlessly in the darkness, not knowing whether or not they would find another. Not to mention how tired they were already.

"Okay, I guess," Sam mumbled, obviously not used to being so agreeable. "Well, let's get some sleep, then. We got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow if we want to get to Amity Park any time soon. It's pretty far."

Danny looked at the map in the dim light as the sun went down. He grimaced at the long stretch of land they would have to cover before they could find sanctuary.

Despite his fatigue, sleep didn't come easily to Danny that night.

* * *

The next day was cloudy, misty, rainy, and all around unpleasant for those who had to walk miles and miles on foot to get to where they needed to go. Danny's coat proved to be waterproof, though he didn't get to experience the luxury as he had given it to Sam, who was only wearing a muscle shirt and some jeans, unlike Tucker who at least had a light jacket.

Every now and then there was a loud rumble of thunder above them, though the heavy rain from earlier that morning had slowed into a light drizzle.

A flash of light caused Danny to instinctively look above him, his eyes narrowing.

"Probably lightning," Tucker shrugged it off. Sam seemed to agree.

Danny wasn't so sure, and his suspicions were confirmed when the bright light flashed above the again…

…And a ball of light seemed to form out of the clouds and come speeding towards them.

* * *

**Yes, that's most likely an OC.**

**I'll update when the muse hits me again...you guys are so patient with me.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Back already.**

**Don't own DP, I do own Noni.**

**-Phanny**

**

* * *

**The force at which Danny was knocked backwards felt like he was shot out of a cannon. It took him a moment to realize that he was flat on his back, and he opened his eyes, blinking spots from his vision.

"Danny!" He heard Sam's voice, but he was lifted off of the ground by the same person that had thrown him back. He opened his eyes to see a young woman staring at him, straight in his eyes, with a chilling glare.

'_Who are you?' _Danny wanted to ask, but the girl had his neck in her grasp, and though she wasn't choking him, it was getting difficult to breathe, and almost impossible to speak.

The girl, only a few years older than he, had pasty gray skin, and her eyes were red and heavy lidded. There were dark shadows beneath them, making her glare even more intimidating. Her clothes were simple, with a thin black long-sleeved shirt, and baggy sweatpants, and her blood red hair was wet and matted from the rain. Her figure horrified Danny - she looked sickly, almost emaciated. But what got his attention was her wings - unlike his feathery bird wings, hers were leathery, bony, and bat-like.

"Master doesn't like runaways," she hissed in a voice much deeper than Danny had expected, "I take you back to him, boy. You will be punished." There was an almost joyous gleam in her eyes.

"Get away from him!" Sam shouted, and the young woman was knocked back by a small rock to her temple. Danny was released, and he took large gulps of air, coughing and wheezing. The girl lay on the ground for a few moments before getting to her feet and glaring at Sam.

"You not interfere!" She growled, "you stay away!"

"Make me!" Sam replied, her eyes narrowed. Danny took this as a chance to deliver a kick to the mysterious woman's stomach, causing her to bend over and fall to her knees.

"Tell us who you are," Danny said levelly.

"Master sent me to find you," the woman said, seemingly ignoring his question, "master give Noni special mission, Noni not fail!"

"Noni…" Danny mused, "listen, Noni, who is your master?"

"Master Vlad, fool!" Noni spat viciously, "he wants his little bird back, so he sends Noni to find!"

Danny paled. He should've known. But how did this Noni know Vlad? He'd lived with the man as long as he could remember, he didn't remember anyone else, especially not a girl only a bit older than him.

"Well I'm not going back," Danny said to her, and her glare hardened, "so you can go back empty-handed." He felt cruel for saying that. He could only imagine the punishment she would get for not completing her 'special mission,' assuming she wasn't a liar - which he was having a hard time doubting.

"What do we do with her?" Tucker asked. Sam laid a heavy combat boot on Noni's flat stomach, and the girl, though she could certainly hit hard, found it hard to rise.

"Master angry," Noni coughed, and Danny was suddenly reminded of how sick and pale she looked, "he hurt the others, his favorite is gone. Noni must not fail, Noni and her friends in danger! Better you than Noni." She stared at Danny.

"Let her up," Sam stared at Danny in bewilderment as he said this, but did as he said. Noni rose from the ground, growling liking an untamed beast at her enemies. She bared long, sharp teeth threateningly, and she looked inhuman and feral. Danny stared her down, regretting what he had told Sam to do, but ready for her to strike.

"Noni ordered to bring you back alive," she said, "but Noni not regret _this!_"

She tackled Danny to the ground again, scoring her long fingernails down his arms and face, but he managed to get his feet near her stomach and push her off of him. It wasn't long before she recovered, preparing for a punch when he stopped her hand mid swing and twisted it behind her back.

"Leave us alone!" Danny said in her ear. She writhed in his grasp as he felt blood seep from the wounds on his arms and face.

"Noni can't!" She said, her voice desperate, "Noni mustn't…"

"What happens if you don't?" Danny asked. Noni looked up at him with a gaze that made his stomach churn with pity. Underneath the wild gleam in her eyes was hunger, fear, and pain, and she shut her eyes quickly.

"Noni dies."

* * *

Sam had suggested killing the girl, and Danny admitted to himself that it would be much easier on them if they did, but instead the sickly Noni lay on the ground asleep near the fire the trio had built. After she had been restrained long enough, the girl's malicious intentions seemed to have waned, being replaced by the frightened teen she obviously was before Vlad got his hands on her.

"So you're not the only one," Sam said, "Nana said that you were one of the few of his children that had escaped. Looks like you weren't his only experiment."

Danny didn't like to think of himself as an experiment, but it was likely the case. He had to have been created, he had to have been made and not born, he must have been a creation based on trial and error. As those thoughts tormented him, he looked at the sleeping Noni and realized that his situation could be a lot worse. He was Vlad's favorite - obviously he didn't care much for the others.

"How many others do you think there are?" Tucker asked, to no one really.

"She might know," Sam jerked her thumb towards Noni. Ever since the fight earlier, Sam had refused to call the girl by her name. She obviously didn't trust her.

"I can't believe he'd just kill her if he didn't get his way," Tucker muttered, "do his 'children' mean that little to him?"

"Likely," Danny nodded, "Vlad may call us children…but he's no father."

'_We're his toys,' _Danny though silently, looking at Noni, who shifted restlessly in her sleep. Vlad was so powerful, he struck so much fear in everyone, _'we're all his toys. The world is just a game, and he's already won.'_

_

* * *

_**I hope Noni doesn't look like a Sue to you guys. To me crazy mutant sociopathic psycho bitch doesn't scream Sue but...whatever.**

**Even if you don't like her, she's important to the story.**_  
_


	8. Chapter 8

**What's this? A quick up date? _OH MY GOOOOOOOD!_**

**-Phanny**

* * *

Sam didn't sleep well that night. How could Danny honestly insist that they let that psycho stay near their fire for the night? She'd tried to kill him!

Sam looked Danny over while he slept, brushing her fingers against the long scratch marks on his cheeks, and he winced in his sleep, curling his wings tighter around his body. They needed something to fix that and his arm before they got infected.

"Hnnn…you know if you worry any more then your hair's going to fall out…" Sam gasped in surprise when Danny spoke, his eyes still closed. He opened them a slit to see pale, watery gray sunlight climbing it's way up the horizon, and he yawned, wincing again as the movement disturbed his wounds.

"Somebody needs to worry about your well-being," Sam said, more lightly than she'd meant to, "letting your almost-murderer stay so close - that's masochism if I ever saw it."

"Sam, we talked about this…"

"I know," Sam sighed after a moment, "I agreed with you because I trust you know what you're doing…sort of."

"Admit it, we're making all of this up as we go along," Danny said with a slight smirk.

Sam said nothing, but grabbed his shoulders and tried to hoist him upright, "come on, up and at 'em." That seemed to be her favorite phrase.

"How about just 'up'?" Tucker groaned from a little ways away, "just leave out the 'at 'em' entirely…?"

"Just get up, you dork," Sam snickered, "we have a lot of ground to cover today."

"Is there water near here?" Danny asked, "I should go wash these off again," he gestured to his arm and cheek and the wounds that covered them.

"I'll show you," Tucker said, and they wandered off together. Sam shook her head, remembering vaguely how terrified Danny had been of Tucker the first time they met - that seemed so far away, and anyone who looked at them might think they'd been friends for years.

There was a rustle from behind Sam, and she whipped her head around, taking her eyes off the map that she had grabbed out of the bag. Noni's red eyes stared into her amethyst ones blankly, sitting upright in her bed of pine needles and leaf-litter.

Sam turned away, her eyes narrowed. The next nearest town was Seersha, and it didn't seem too far…

"Girl does not like Noni," the odd young woman said from behind Sam.

"No, honestly, I don't," Sam said bluntly, "you haven't given me a lot of reason to."

"Noni deserve it," Noni let out a resigned sigh, "Noni just doing as she was told."

Sam decided to ignore her, looking back at the map.

"Noni understand," Noni continued, not caring if she was being ignored, "Noni not know she harmed girl's mate."

_That_ got Sam's attention.

"My _mate_?" Sam asked, paling as she looked back at Noni. The other girl seemed confused, not knowing what she had said that was wrong.

"Girl knows," Noni tried to clarify, "mate is person who attracts other person and they-"

"I know what mates do!" Sam looked a little sickened at the thought, "we aren't mates, all right?"

Noni just shrugged, yawing and twirling her hair in her fingers boredly as another, slightly more awkward, silence fell over them.

* * *

Danny had no idea how to read a map, he didn't know why Sam suggested that he hold it.

"So the letters stand for…North, South, East, and West…?" He asked, feeling stupid for having to ask such a question.

"You got it," Tucker said, "how close are we?"

Danny looked at the small block on the map labeled "Seersha," and followed Sam's rough interpretation of where they were at that moment.

"…I don't know."

"Give me the map, Danny."

Danny gratefully handed it over to Tucker, who obviously had some idea what he was doing, especially when compared to Danny.

Danny took the time to look back at Sam and Noni, and wondered for a moment why they were walking separate from the boys before he saw the look in Sam's eyes. She was watching Noni like a hawk, and Danny could tell that if she even looked at him, Sam wouldn't hold back.

Danny knew he should be equally suspicious, but the girl's skinny frame and lack of aggression currently made it impossible for him to view her as a threat anymore. She obviously wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, anyway. She had her wings wrapped around her body as tightly as possible, obviously nervous about walking. She wasn't comfortable with being grounded - which was something she'd just have to get over, Danny thought.

Suddenly Danny ran in to Tucker, who had stopped short in front of him. The smell of smoke hit his nose, and Danny viewed what had made Tucker's eyes widen in horror.

The small city of Seersha, the place they had been looking forward to refilling on supplies from, was burning to the ground right in front of their eyes.

* * *

**It's almost like someone doesn't want them to get much farther on their journey by cutting off supplies like food and medicine...but who would do such a thing? :P**


	9. Chapter 9

**I know I don't update it as often as I should...but this is one of my favoritest stories I'm writing right now :D**

**Keep on readin', keep on reviewin', and I'll keep on writin' till my fingers break :B**

**-Phanny**

* * *

Danny was sure that the silence all around him was an illusion created by the shock of seeing such a horrific sight, for when Sam nudged him urgently, it broke to reveal the frightened screams of the townspeople trying to escape from their homes.

Danny's own insides burned with anger. He now knew how much Vlad wanted him back - there was no way anyone else could have done this much damage so quickly, so suddenly - but he was destroying these people's homes - perhaps even _killing_ some of them!

It wasn't Danny's job, but he felt responsible to save as many of these people as he could, even if this town was the same as Elmerton, where he was wanted and hated. If these people thought he was a monster…well, he wasn't going to let them be right!

"He did this, I know," he muttered to Sam and Tucker. Noni seemed to still be in a state of shock, her red eyes were glassy and hollow. "I'm going to fix it."

"Danny, no!" Sam grabbed his arm - the uninjured one - to keep him from taking off into the sky, "I'm going with you."

"Are you two insane?" Tucker asked, incredulous, "everything is on _fire_. I know you feel responsible, Danny, but we really need to think about ourselves once in awhile!"

"…so you're not coming?" Sam asked.

"Of course I'm coming, but I just thought I'd mention how crazy this is," Tucker sighed, "so what're we going to do?"

"Make sure everyone gets out of town," Danny said, looking at the burning town in front of him. You two go on the ground - _be careful _- and I'll go in the sky…" silently he looked behind him, meeting a pair of dark red eyes with a heavy gaze.

"Noni help," Noni's voice sounded gravelly, as though she might have been about to cry. "If she must."

Without a word, Danny spread his wings and took off into the smoke-filled sky.

* * *

Within minutes Danny's eyes and throat were burning from the smoke, and he could see Sam and Tucker weren't doing much better. So far, though, they were doing well in their search; they had only found one person who was unable to escape on their own - a confused and frightened child looking desperately for his mother, who seemed not to have even noticed Danny's appearance when he brought her son back to her (she even thanked him tearfully. He'd never been shown much gratitude before) - and the rest of the town seemed to have cleared itself out.

Noni actually seemed to be making an effort to help, and she was…indirectly. Anyone who saw her ran quickly in the opposite direction, managing to escape the quickly falling town.

By the time they were sure there were no people left, there was almost no town left either. The flames were dying, smoldering wood and the reek of smoke being the only things left. After hours of search and rescue, all four teens found it hard to breathe, and Danny's wings were scorched and sore from one time were he had gotten a bit too close to a burning house.

"Is everyone out?" Danny asked when the pain forced him to land next to Sam and Tucker.

"As far as we can see," Sam nodded. Noni landed silently next to her, but with one look from Sam the winged girl moved toward Tucker instead. Danny would have been amused if his throat wasn't so sore. Each of his companions were covered with ash and soot, and one of Tucker's hands seemed to be mildly burned. All they could manage to do was walk through the destroyed town to where the survivors had set up camp and hoped someone might take pity on them. There was no point in hiding anymore, they needed help. Sam informed Danny gravely that the map hadn't survived their little detour.

As soon as the group made it to the woods, however, Danny's body seemed to think it was time for him to just stop. Stop moving, stop standing, and stop being awake. Just stop.

"Danny!" Both Sam and Tucker's words were lost on him as he dropped to the ground.

* * *

_"__Boy is all right?"_

_"__He'd better be…"_

_"__Calm down, Sam, he's gonna be fine…he has to be…"_

Danny felt like he'd swallowed a razor blade, and his muscles protested at his every attempt to move. _Was_ he all right? It must be bad if even _he_ couldn't tell…

"I think he might be coming to…" Danny definitely jumped up when he heard a voice he didn't recognize. He looked around him wildly, his head turning in every direction. He was laying on a thick blanket in the dirt, surrounded by tees, bushes and…people. Lots and lots of people.

"Ah!" He gasped, and the children and adults that had obviously been gaping at him moved back, frightened that the creature that they had never seen before was now awake and moving.

"All right, clear out, all of you!" The tall, balding man that Danny realized had been the one speaking before told all of the villagers, "leave him alone."

Some of the more curious children still wanted to see the boy with wings. Danny vaguely wondered why the weren't even glancing at Noni (who was by far more…interesting in appearance) until he saw one brave little boy wandering towards her, only for her to hiss threateningly at him, causing him to squeal and run off.

"That means you two as well," the man said to the two remaining watchers, who scampered off towards where the bulk of the now-homeless villagers were seated.

"You okay, Danny?" Sam said soothingly, and Danny's wings folded back around him (they had flown out in shock moments before), and he was obviously calming down.

"Y-yeah…" he leaned in closer to Sam, "who's this guy?"

"_This guy_," the man said, startling Danny again, "is William Lancer. Most people call me Lancer anyway, just because my first name has three syllables and my last has two, and people pick the easier one. _But_," Lancer pushed on Danny's chest, gently forcing him to lay down again, "I'm smart enough to know how to take care of an injured person - no matter how odd-looking they are - and I think you should take my advice and rest a bit more."

Danny didn't know why, but he felt the need to listen. Aside from Tucker and Sam, he'd never had an outsider refer to him as a person.

"But…we can't stay for too long, and I-I'm fine…" Danny stuttered.

"You're fine when I say you're fine," Lancer countered, "and you've got a nasty bump on your head from when you fell down, and I think some of your feathers are falling out."

Danny looked behind him at his wings curiously, then at Sam, as though asking a question.

"…well, maybe a couple here and there. You're really stressed out." Sam shrugged.

"All the more reason for you all to get some sleep. I'll leave you alone now, if you don't mind." Danny watched Lancer wander off towards his fellow villagers, and then looked at Sam, Tucker, and Noni, baffled.

"You guys seriously need to fill me on what happened while I was out…"

* * *

**I love Mr. Lancer. He rules. There's never enough Lancer love around here! D:**

**(I know there are a lot of awesome stories with Lancer love. That doesn't mean there is ever enough.)  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**I've had this half-written for awhile now. Sorry. School happened.**

**-Phanny**

**

* * *

**"Ow. Ow. _Ow_. Okay, _ow_!" Danny jerked his arm out of Sam's grasp. Lancer had given her some odd smelling mixture that was supposedly a disinfectant. Danny glared at it and then at the cuts on his arms, the ones that had been festering for days. He knew it wouldn't be easy to clean them up, but that burning sensation that ran through his arm was just too unbearable.

"Quit whining," Sam told him, only half playfully, "these'll get so bad we'll have to cut your arm off. And your cheek - which I _will_ be getting to next." She began dabbing at his arm again, and in an effort to control himself, Danny gritted his teeth. He only squirmed a little this time.

Sam and Tucker had told him what he wanted to know - what had happened in the short time that he was unconscious the night before. Tucker said nothing much had gone on - he had passed out, and hit his head on a large stone on the way down. Lancer had been one of the few villagers willing to approach him at first, and had offered to help. Obviously the other villagers trusted Lancer enough to believe that he could keep them safe if Danny decided to "attack," and wandered over to inspect him. Nothing too eventful, and Danny actually felt a little put out that nothing more interesting had occurred.

Sam eventually finished with Danny's hands and face, finally bandaging them up as they should have been when he first got the scratches. Sam had wandered off to find Tucker, who seemed to be flirting with one of the village girls. Danny looked around at the villagers - now that it was daylight, he could get full view of the clearing they had found shelter in.

Everything was so…_green_. The shady trees, the damp moss on some of the rocks, the bushes and thickets scattered around, acting as a barrier from the outside world. It was almost as if this clearing was made with the intention of people living there. Far off, Danny could hear the trickling of water, and whispering.

Wait a minute…

Danny turned his head to find a group of kids - some around his age, some younger - whispering, every once in awhile pointing in his direction. Danny dismissed it as mindless gossip, but felt slightly offended anyway. Well, he _was_ rather odd looking…

* * *

"You need to do it," Emory told another girl, "I dared you, you _have_ to."

"I-I don't _want_ to," Alice stuttered, nervously tucking a lock of unruly brown hair behind her ear, "what if he…_bites me _or something?"

Emory shook his head and frowned, "chicken."

"I'm not chicken!" Alice whispered harshly, "you want it so much, you do it!"

"I told you to!"

"I don't care!"

"Just go, or I'll tell everyone you were too chicken to do it."

Alice paused. Everyone would believe Emory - she would never live humiliation like that down. She looked at the winged boy across the clearing, and then back at Emory.

"Fine…"

"Hmph, I thought so," Emory said triumphantly. "Go on."

Alice hesitated. Emory pushed her, and she couldn't stop herself from taking more and more small, soft steps towards the boy, who sat with his back to her. Oh, she couldn't believe what she was doing…

When she got close enough, she reached out her hand, gently took hold of one of the shiny, ebony feathers, and tugged.

"Hey-!" The boy turned on her, his expression more annoyed than angry. His deep blue eyes stung her as they stared at the huge black feather she held in her hand. "What was that for?"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry he dared me to do it, I…" tears pricked at Alice's eyes as she continued to apologize.

The boy stuttered nervously, not knowing what to do with a crying child, "uhm, well…you…you don't have to cry, I just…why did you do that?"

"Emory dared me," Alice muttered again, "I'm really sorry…he's just…he's always mean to me unless I take his dares. He calls me a chicken."

"Well…that kinda hurt, so…don't do it again. You can keep the feather, I guess…I don't really need it anymore."

"Yeah…" Alice twirled the dark feather in her hands, smiling a little, "I guess I can tell everyone I got an angel feather!"

"I'm not an angel," the boy corrected her.

"Then what are you?" Alice asked.

"I…I don't know."

"Well, I think you're an angel, because angels have wings. Usually white ones, though, at least in the pictures - but that doesn't mean you're not an angel."

The boy looked lost in thought, so Alice decided to leave him alone. She was so happy - she got an angel feather, and he wasn't mean or anything like Emory said he would be.

She looked back for one second, and she could've sworn that she saw the angel smile for a second.

* * *

"An angel, huh?" A small smile played on Sam's face, "how cute."

"Yeah, cute," Danny said, distracted, "I'm not an angel. So far people have called me an angel, a demon, and an experiment. I just wanted to get away from Vlad, I didn't really think this trip would make me _think_ so much. Sam…we get to Amity Park, and then what?"

Sam let out a long sigh, and she rested her head in her hands.

"And then what…_I'm_ the idea girl around here and I never asked myself that question…_and then what_. I don't know."

* * *

**Not much Tucker or Noni. They'll get some spotlight later on.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Quick update. I was on a roll.**

**-Phanny**

**

* * *

**They left a little after dawn.

The villagers of Seersha had been kind enough to give Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Noni some food, an improvised map drawn by a village elder, and medicine in case either of them got hurt again. They filled their canteens with water and were on their way into the deeper part of the forest before the sun had completely risen.

The brush and bracken was so thick that it took them hours to work their way through it. Danny was so close to suggesting that he and Noni should fly them out of here, but he knew it was dangerous - both flying itself and assuming that Noni would cooperate in the first place. When they finally saw light at the end of the thick vegetation, it was midday, and all four travelers were exhausted.

"According to the map, there's a lake near here…" Sam mused, sitting down in the grass. This was a graceful action compared to Tucker flopping down on his back with a loud 'thump.'

Danny gazed out across the wide plains of grass until a shining half circle was visible in the distance, "there, way over that hill." Oh, it seemed so _far_…

"Well, let's make it our goal to get there. After that, Amity Park is only a few miles away."

Danny froze. They were almost there? Already? The journey didn't seem so long now, even though he knew they'd been traveling for over a week.

"Noni not tired," the frail girl rasped, "Noni need water. This is all. When we go on?"

"Whenever Tucker gets his butt up," Sam nudged Tucker's leg with her boot, and he sat up. Danny noticed that Sam's reply hadn't been nearly as biting as it used to be when she was talking to Noni. She still didn't trust or like the girl, but she was beginning to accept the fact that she was traveling with them.

"I'm up…" Tucker sighed, "let's go."

* * *

The lake was small and the water was clear. Noni, who refused to drink from a canteen, drank straight from the lake, cupping her hands in the water. Danny had wondered about it, and Noni replied that the water from the canteens didn't taste good to her. Sam assumed that she was just trying to be difficult, but Danny, after witnessing Noni's taste for raw meat as opposed to cooked, believed that she had very different ideas of taste from their own…

"It's close," Sam muttered, "Amity is so close…damn it, I really want to make it by tonight, but…I'm just not sure how much longer we can go."

"Let's make some food while we decide…" Danny's stomach growled loudly, and he grimaced, "what do we have to eat?"

Sam cooked some of the vegetables that the villagers had given them, but refused to touch the slab of meat. Tucker took it upon himself to cook that, tossing a raw chunk of it to Noni, who nodded in what they could only assume to be thanks.

Danny sat next to Sam as it got darker, "you have an answer yet?"

"Hm?" Sam looked at him curiously.

"'And then what?' What we started to talk about last night?"

"_Oh_," Sam said, "no…I don't. Danny, we had no idea what we were going to do when we started, and that hasn't changed so far. Nana said we'd be safe in Amity Park, and that's all we know and I like that idea. I want you to be safe, Danny. Then we can decide."

Danny nodded slowly. There was so much going on in his head. They were almost to their destination, sure, but he couldn't help but feel that, even after all this, it felt like they hadn't even come close to accomplishing anything.

* * *

"Is this it? This can't be it."

Danny agreed with Tucker. Amity Park was in front of them, but it looked nothing like they had pictured it. Their safe haven, their guarded city, it just looked so…_normal_.

The houses were normal, the scenery was peaceful, and the people were moving at a normal pace through the streets. It was a bit of a let down.

Danny's wings were bundled underneath his coat, and Noni was outside the city limits until they got something for her. The girl seemed uncomfortable with all of the people anyway.

"I like it," Sam murmured, looking around. Danny liked it too. It wasn't full of creepy people, and it wasn't on fire - two definite improvements from their last stops.

"Let's find something for Noni," Danny said, "then we can really look around."

"Fine," Sam said, walking to a store that appeared to sell clothing, "I'll go, we don't want two boys looking at girl's clothing like creepers, now do we?"

"Well-"

"Tucker, the correct answer is no," Sam said dryly, "now, you two go find something to do."

"Yes ma'am," Tucker gave her a mock-salute as she turned away, "bossy as always…" he muttered under his breath.

"So what do we do?" Danny asked. Suddenly the two boys heard a crash and a loud cry of "_stop, thief!_"

They were almost bowled over by two young men running with their arms full of items. A shopkeeper was glaring after them, and many people stirred and looked around at the commotion.

Danny knew that he wasn't in any way responsible for this crime like he was for the fire, but he still felt the need to help. He looked at Tucker, who had a calculating look on his face.

"You know, I know what you're thinking…and I got a really fun idea."

* * *

"Oh, man, he didn't even notice us until we started runnin' - this town has got some real idiots runnin' shops…" Ellis snickered to his partner in crime. Jarrett shook his head in amusement. They arrived in an empty alleyway and dropped their haul of stolen goods to the ground.

"You're the idiot, Ell," he snapped, "takin' that big stuff. You see how you almost fell - take stuff that you can carry. I tell you-" A trash can rattled behind them, but when they turned they saw nothing. Jarrett shook his head, dismissing it, while Ellis failed to suppress a shiver.

"What was-" A rustle of paper came next, and this time when they turned around they met a small candle…held by a boy with eerie blue eyes…with black wings arching over his back, each of them almost six feet tall on their own.

"Holy sh-" Ellis couldn't finish his sentence before Jarrett covered his mouth.

"You have disappointed your god," the supposed Angel of Death whispered in a raspy, threatening voice, "you have sinned, boys. You are thieves."

"What the hell are you trying to pull, kid?" Jarrett growled.

"You dare insult me?" The boy roared, "then you will pay!"

A girl with bat wings screeched over Jarrett's and Ellis's heads, baring sharp fangs and red eyes. Both thieves ran out of the alley, screaming something about demons.

Danny wanted to feel guilty, he really did, but even Noni seemed to have gotten some sick joy out of their prank. Sam hadn't been to into Tucker's idea, but she was glad she had stayed for the show.

"It was for the greater good," Tucker reminded them, trying to keep from laughing.

Danny chuckled, even when he heard the shouts of "demons in the alley! Demons!"

But his blood went cold when he heard Noni shout, and he discovered why when he was covered with a glowing green net and shocked violently with it before plunging into darkness.

* * *

**I like giving in the minor characters names. It helps me.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Updating Chatting to Chat is fun, but so are my other stories...just not quite AS fun, seeing as they aren't complete and total nonsense.**

**-Phanny**

**

* * *

**Danny awoke stiff and sore. He groaned and tried to stand, but realized that there was no room to do so in the gage he was in.

A cage…?

Oh _no_…

Had Vlad captured him again? Was it someone else working for him? Were they going to kill him? Was he going to die caged like an animal?

Danny looked over to the side to see Noni in the same situation he was in, but with her wings tucked around her tightly, he couldn't tell if she was unconscious or just hiding. He thought about doing the same thing, but before he could he heard footsteps coming down a set of stairs to his right.

"You're awake."

Danny's blue eyes opened wide. It wasn't so much the auburn-haired woman with a slim build and calculating violet eyes that scared him, but the burly, fierce looking man that stood a good foot taller than her. Oh yeah, he was going to die here.

He contemplated a smart remark, but his throat was so dry, he couldn't speak.

"You and your friend have got a lot of nerve coming here," the woman said sharply, "hasn't your kind done enough?"

Danny couldn't help but ask, "my kind?"

"Rakveri," the woman informed him, "his minions."

"I…don't know what you mean."

"Child stealers," the man finally spoke up, his tone hard, "that man takes our children to make you. Then you come, and you steal more. You do his bidding, and you kill for him. That is what we mean."

What? He didn't have hard time believing that Vlad would make creatures to do his bidding, but kill? He had never done any of those things! He had been locked in a tower his whole life! How many of these 'Rakveri' were there? Obviously more than just him and Noni, but how many more? Exactly how much did he not know about his own life?

"I…I have never…"

"I don't know you," the woman interrupted, "but this one-" she pointed to Noni, who was still hiding "-I've seen this one before."

Noni's shape shuddered, as though she could see the woman's gaze through her leathery wings.

"You took Beth's child six years ago. Where is she _now_, demon?"

Noni didn't answer.

"You're not old enough to have taken my child," the woman switched gears smoothly, "but I imagine _one_ of you knows who did. One of you has to know where my son is."

"What is his name?" Noni said, her low voice cracking.

"The demon took him from me so soon - he didn't have a name yet."

"Then Noni cannot tell you, because Noni does not know," Noni said, unfurling her wings. She looked pointedly at Danny, "do not harm boy. He is not like the others. Master Vlad never let him fly free. He escaped. Noni sent to capture him."

Danny couldn't stop himself from trembling at the word "harm." Noni could obviously tell these people's intent more than he could. The didn't look like killers, but maybe Noni had some sort of sixth sense…? She certainly was creepy enough.

Danny was distracted until he felt the woman cup his chin in her hand and forced him to look at her. Her gaze tried to be neutral, but he could see something more in her eyes. Something like recognition. Had he seen her somewhere before? She almost looked like she recognized him from somewhere - should he have the same feeling?

"Jack, come here," the woman's tone had changed, sounding more curious and gentle than sharp and interrogating. At first she had been trying to frighten him and Noni, but now she seemed to be trying to do just the opposite. Danny wasn't buying it. Before Jack could come all the way over, Danny jerked away from the woman and moved backwards until his wings pressed against the back of the metal cage.

Jack and his apparent wife looked torn. They understood his fear, but they regretted ever giving him a reason to have it in the first place. Danny could tell that there was something that they were not telling him, but his fear of them made him sure that, whatever it was, he didn't want to hear it.

"Let us go," Danny growled, "we came here to get away from him, not to harm you or your children. I don't know who you are, but all we did was scare a couple of thieves - we did nothing wrong."

"You sent the entire town into a panic," the woman informed him tersely, "that doesn't make you a model citizen. Don't you know how people here feel about Rakveri?"

"_No_, because until a few minutes ago I didn't know what a Rakveri was!" Danny couldn't keep himself from snapping at her, "let alone that I _was_ one. Can you give me a minute to take this in?"

The woman's expression softened again, "you…really don't know all of this, do you?"

"That I would be treated like a criminal the minute I set foot here? No. I mean, I understand if you thought Noni was a little shifty, because when we first met she tried to kill me and my friend Sam told me that she thought she would eat us in our sleep-"

"Oh, Noni takes offense to that-!"

"Hush, I'm explaining something! I've been locked in a tower all my life, I only saw the outside world for the first time a few months ago, and I finally escaped and came here because I was told that he couldn't find me here."

Danny's voice shook as he spoke, realizing how bleak his situation was. If these people didn't let him stay, then Vlad would surely kill him and Noni, but if they did let him stay, he would still be hated by everyone in town at best, and at worst they would never let him out of the cage.

The man and woman had wandered off to a corner far away from Danny, speaking in low tones. Danny could see their expressions - confused, torn, and frightened. Wait, frightened of what? Of them?

_"Maddie, you're not _thinking_-"_

_"Jack, I _am_ thinking, and I just _know_ that he-"_

_"-might or might _not_ be who you think he is. He's getting to you, Maddie, sometimes trusting your instincts isn't enough-!"_

_"Jack…just, _please_. We'll buy them some time - tell the mayor we're still interrogating-"_

_"This is _dangerous_, Mads…but I'll do it for you. I just hope you're right."_

_"I _am_, I can feel it."_

Danny knew he shouldn't be eavesdropping, but seeing as these people had him locked in a cage, he decided to abandon being mannerly for awhile. He went back to thinking when Maddie and Jack went back upstairs. Rakveri…he was one of them? But if they were what Maddie had said they were, child stealers made of already stolen children then…oh, he couldn't wrap his mind around it!

If he was a Rakveri, then he hadn't been _made_…he had once been someone's _child_.

* * *

**Rakveri is a nonsense word, as far as I know.**

**I don't know if I should put "DUN DUN DUNN" here or not.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Why hello there, readers.**

**-Phanny  
**

**

* * *

**Maddie Fenton awoke from her restless sleep in a daze. She sat up in bed, smiling at her still-sleeping husband before getting up and heading to her kitchen, too preoccupied to actually do anything in there.

Jack didn't believe her, but she knew. A mother knows her son, even if she was only with him for a few hours before he was taken from her. Black and blue eyes - she had met no one else with those features save for her husband. It was possible - every Rakveri had once been a human child, but seeing the boy that she _knew _had to be her son made her realize that…maybe some of them were _still _human, in a way. She had doubts about the older girl, though - she was a textbook Rakveri. Bestial, distant, and wild. Still, Maddie had never met one Rakveri who was able to form a coherent sentence - most had not been taught how to speak.

"Mom?" Maddie jumped and turned around to see her daughter, Jazz, coming from the foyer. Of course - Jazz was always awake before anyone else, and early riser by nature. This time, though, she didn't look like she had just come home from a walk. She looked at the door, and then back at her mother.

"There are two people at the door. I told them you might not be awake, but they won't leave," Jazz studied her mother's expression before adding, "they aren't Guys in White, mom. They're kids - younger than me."

Maddie raised and eyebrow, but walked towards the front door, opening it slowly, revealing a rather angry-looking pale girl about the same age as the-boy-who-might-be-her-son Rakveri they had caught the day before, and another boy, much darker skinned, who was just as upset, but his expression was very subdued in comparison.

"Where are they?" The girl asked. No introduction, no attempt at being polite present at all. With a chill, Maddie recognized them. They had been the two that were, at the time, 'hindering the investigation' by shouting and pleading that their friends were innocent as they were being taken away. Maddie sighed and gestured for them to come in - if they were going to make a scene, it had better not be in public.

"So you don't deny taking them," the girl said, "good, because we saw you and you saw us. _Where are they_? Where are Danny and Noni?"

Maddie realized that the boy had not told her his name yesterday, but she knew Noni - she referred to herself in the third person often enough, it was hard not to know her name. So the boy _did_ have a name. Danny.

"I just invited strangers into my house and _you_ are interrogating _me_," Maddie countered, and looked to her daughter, "Jazz, honey, could you excuse us for a minute?" Jazz looked relieved - she didn't want to be a part of…whatever this was going to turn out to be.

"Now, then," Maddie sat down in her living room after Jazz had left. The two teens felt content to stand and scowl, "Who are you two?"

"Their friends," the girl said sourly, "you took them, give them back. You have them locked up somewhere, don't you? They're people, let them go. We'll leave - even though this town is the only place we'll all be safe, we'll leave if it means that you'll let them go."

"You don't understand-"

"No, you don't understand!" The girl interrupted, and the boy stepped away from her, not expecting that outburst, "we heard about what you think of them, but let me tell you - they aren't evil, even though Noni looks like she might be. They're not here to take any of your children, they came here so Vlad couldn't find them. You captured them because you're worried about other people's safety, right? Well they _are_ other people who want to be safe, and you're seriously screwing that up right now."

"Other people are afraid of them. It is our - my husband's and mine - job to keep people believing that everything is all right. We're not going to hurt them, the boy - Danny? - has convinced us that they don't mean any harm, but the fact remains that their kind scares the townspeople, and even though _we_ won't harm them, there are people out there that will be more than happy to. You don't understand that, right now, this is as safe as they are going to get in this town."

The girl's expression softened, but it was more hopeless than angry now. She was realizing that Maddie was right. There was a long pause as the young boy put his arm around her, and Maddie closed her eyes, lost in thought.

"Let me see him," Maddie noticed how this was the first time she had not used 'them.' She realized that the girl was attached to the boy especially. Well, so was Maddie.

"Come with me," Maddie said, heading down towards the basement, "yes, they are in cages, but I just woke up and was planning to let them out, actually. I really would have done it sooner, but my husband doesn't share some of my…opinions.

The girl growled something under her breath, and she vaguely heard a "Sam, please don't start" from the boy.

Maddie was now ashamed to have put the two in cages - she didn't know why she cared so much about this girl's opinion of her, but the more they spoke the more Maddie was convinced that she was wrong, and the teen was right.

* * *

Danny was certainly going to have a deep (perhaps permanent) impression of the cage wall on his face as he leaned his head against it, his eyes closed and in a deep, restless sleep. After constant shifting around and basically facing the fact that there was no possible position in this cage that could be described as "comfortable," he just fell asleep at an awkward angle, his wings pressed tightly against the back of the cage and cramping up from the inability to stretch them. He never realized how much he would miss sleeping in dirt on the hard ground.

Danny just shifted with a sleepy groan as he felt someone's hand on his arm, trying to shake him awake. He pushed the mystery person's arm away with an irritated "mmf," too cranky to even consider waking up.

"Dammit, Danny…" Sam's voice echoed in his ears, and he received a much harder shove in his ribs, and his eyes popped open to see her staring at him, with Tucker not too far away. The cage door was open. Sam and Tucker were there. Were they letting him go? Did he care? No! Sam was here!

And Tucker, too!

"Sam," Danny removed himself from his cage as quickly as he was able and wrapped his arms around her, tucking his face into the crook of her neck.

"Where have you guys _been_?" He murmured into her hair.

"Looking everywhere for you," Tucker said, somehow hearing this, "we didn't find a lot of people willing to tell us where you guys were."

"Yeah," Danny's good mood vanished as he pulled away from Sam. As he spoke, he was thankful that the basement was large enough for him to fully stretch out his twelve foot wingspan, "apparently were not really well-liked around here…"

Sam frowned, and she looked at Danny, "well, yeah. Listen, this isn't my own opinion, but I feel compelled to tell you this - the people that are keeping you locked up…they want us all to believe that they're not the enemy."

"But…they're keeping Noni and I in cages…" Danny scratched his head, "how is that not bad?"

"I didn't say they weren't doing bad things, but they said….the woman said they're not going to hurt you, because you guys somehow proved to them that you're not like the other…things that he made. She said they're only keeping you here because there are people out there who _will _hurt you."

"But I want to get out of here…I know it'll probably lead to me being chased forever, but I can't just stay here in a cage for my whole life. I was thinking that if Noni and I leave and you and Tucker stay, then you'll be safe. See, Vlad can't come here for some reason, and even though everyone hates me for no reason, you could stay and he couldn't get to you. He still wants you guys for helping me escape, but you could be safe here-"

"You're not going _anywhere_ without me. Without us."

"Guys-"

"No," this time Tucker spoke, "we helped you because you're our friend, we want you to be safe from him - he made your life a living hell - and that's what's going to happen. You're not going to run anymore. Or fly. Danny, a month ago Vlad had you convinced that you couldn't survive without him there, and he kept you locked up for your whole life. It's been a month, and here you are. You survived, so why are you still convinced that there's no way to end this? Stop telling yourself that there's no way out - you deserve better than that. This lady here said she's been ordered to kill you, and she's not going to do that. Why do you think that is?"

Tucker himself honestly didn't know, and all three of them were silent until Maddie spoke up from far behind them. She sounded more sure of her motives than she had been when Sam and Tucker had first met her. She looked around, as though to make sure no one else would hear her.

"Because he is my son."

* * *

**The speech there was to make Tucker awesome, because not a lot of fics try to do that.**

**And yeah. Sort of sudden ending, but really, how would you wedge that into a normal conversation? "How's the weather - btw you're my long-lost son. Ice cream?"  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chatting to Chat got deleted, so stop PMing about it. I'm not putting it back up. I'll put it on deviantART at some point, but I don't know when.**

**But that means more time for this!  
**

**-Phanny**

**P.S. I'm serious. STOP PMING ME. Sorry, it just gets old after awhile...**

* * *

…_What?_

Danny didn't know enough words to describe how he felt. But damn, did he try to find some.

"You-" Danny stared at Maddie, then at Sam and Tucker, "she-" He looked back and forth between his friends and his 'mother,' shouting various forms of shocked, stuttering gibberish that they struggled to decipher, "_how? _This-cage, net, wings - you…the big fat guy…you both…parents? _My parents_? Why did you - how is this - you - me - we both - _blood-related _- maternal…figure…thing…_huh_? !"

Sam grabbed Danny by the shoulders and shook him, as he seemed to be running out of oxygen.

"Danny, calm down!" She said, and Danny froze, "all right, good, now take a deep breath…" Danny did so at her request.

"You can let it out, man," Tucker added, and Danny suddenly realized he had forgotten that part.

"You…" Danny finally pointed at Maddie, "you kidnap me, zap me with a crazy net, keep me in a cage, yell at me, give me dirty looks every chance you get, call me not-human, and then…you tell me you're my _mother_? I've been locked in a tower my whole life and even I know that's not something you just spring on a person! You-"

"Mom!"

Every head turned to the direction of the shout, and a tall redheaded girl poked her head through the door.

"Mom," she said more quietly, "the Guys in White are here."

* * *

"Mrs. Fenton," Agent K was always the one to try to be charming. His sunglasses hid his disgust at even thinking about what his job was today. His voice was silky smooth as he continued, "you know why we're here."

Maddie glared at him and his partner, O. She hated them and their organization so much - the only thing she hated more was the fact that they were the ones forced to supervise her and her husband's work. This one fact meant that, yes, she knew exactly why they were standing at her door.

"I told you at the scene, I told you when Jack and I were on our way home, and I'm telling you now: _We are taking care of it._"

"There's no need for the hostility, Mrs. Fenton," K had stepped back a bit at Maddie's words, "we're doing our jobs."

"And our job is to make sure that _you_ are doing you're job," Agent O cut in, a sharp contrast to K's fake-kind demeanor, with a tone like acid, "we need the state of the Rakveri - alive or dead?"

"Alive," Maddie said firmly. Before the men could interrupt, she continued, "every time one has been captured, they have been killed. Obviously that hasn't been working if they keep coming - my husband and I are not going to continue wantonly killing them, we're going to get to the bottom of this."

"Madeline," Agent K said, his tone condescending, "we respect you and your husband as scientists, but you have orders. The town cannot get a good night's rest until they know that those things have been taken care of."

"I will do what I think is best for the town. If the mayor has a problem with that, then he can have a go at protecting this town," Maddie's tone was icy sharp, and K's expression flickered for a moment.

"You have until tomorrow morning, Mrs. Fenton," Agent O decided to cut in at that moment, "if the Rakveri are found alive, they will be dispatched, and you and your husband's positions in this community will be under serious scrutiny."

If Maddie was affected by these words, she did not show it, "goodbye, gentlemen." Her expression clearly held more of a 'get the hell out of my house' feeling.

"Eight o'clock tomorrow morning, Mrs. Fenton. Keep that in mind."

"Good_bye_, gentlemen."

They left, and Maddie slumped down on her couch. What had she gotten herself into…?

* * *

**"WTF PHANNY WE WAITED WEEKS AND WEEKS FOR _THIS?_"**

**Yes, yes you did.  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Starting to realize that the longer I take to update, the less you guys care. So I'll try harder.**

**-Phanny**

* * *

Danny's head was full of nothing but questions the whole day, and it carried on through the night. He still had to sleep in the basement, but not in a cage, and his accommodations (along with Sam and Tucker's) were fairly decent - small mattresses with throw blankets that only just kept out the cold. The same things had been cautiously offered to Noni, but she wouldn't come out of her cage, and Danny had to admit he didn't try very hard to change her mind.

Danny lay awake, listening to his friends' quiet breathing as thoughts raced through his head. What exactly had happened after he was born? Why were these things taken children from Amity Park? Why was Vlad creating them? How had he been kept in the dark for so long? Why had he even bothered to escape…?

What was going to happen next?

"Boy go to sleep."

Danny almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Noni's voice from across the room.

"How did you…?"

"Boy is tense, smells like fear," the girl rasped, "Boy may not think so, but Noni hates that smell."

"Well," he said, "if it was that easy to go to sleep, I would be dreaming right now. Why aren't you asleep?"

"Noni smells like fear too," she admitted, "Noni always does. She cannot help this. Wherever she go, there is trouble waiting."

Danny laughed bitterly, "that goes for all of us; not just you."

"Boy and Noni both odd," Noni mused, "boy and Noni want freedom, they get it, yet…there is nothing really there. Trapped again. But not alone. Together."

Danny said nothing, looking up at the ceiling silently.

"This makes Noni feel good sometimes. Boy should feel good too."

A smile twitched at Danny's lips, but nothing truly came of it, "I guess so." He yawned, turning over on his side, "a little bit."

"Boy go to sleep now?"

"Will Noni go to sleep too?" Danny teased. He couldn't see her eyes through the dark, but he knew she must have glared at him.

"Yes."

"Well then, good night, Noni." Danny settled down as much as he could, closing his eyes and trying to relax.

"Good night, Danny."

* * *

The terrified blue-haired teen kneeled before her master, awaiting orders. Ember hated the eerie silence she received for what seemed like eternity, and she knew that Vlad was thinking. That was never good. She wished she had never told him, she regretted it immediately.

"They are talking about escaping? Like the Blackbird and that girl? Where would they have gotten that sort of idea?"

"I-I don't know sir," Ember chose her words cautiously. She was never one to be afraid - one thing she promised to never show was fear, but Vlad scared everyone. His power, his influence, his unpredictability…he could do _anything_.

"I hadn't planned to start this early…" he said, "how many are there now?"

"Thirty…thirty-five? Many," Ember said, hating the uncertainty in her voice. Vlad looked down at her, and she flinched.

"Enough," the man nodded, "get them ready."

The feathers on Ember's blue wings ruffled - now? He wanted to do it _now_? Vlad seemed to have sensed her apprehension, much to her dismay.

"Is this going to be a problem?"

"No sir," Ember said, sounding more assured than she felt, "I will have them ready to leave at dawn tomorrow. When lead them, what do I do with your fugitives?"

Vlad seemed unphased by her question, as if it were no big deal, "I hate to do it to my little Raven the most, but you know I can't take their insolence lying down. Kill the girl when you find her. Corner the boy and bring down Amity Park's shield so that I may enter - I want to take care of him myself."


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry, I'm focusing more on my original fiction then I am on my fanfics...but that's just how my priority list works.**

**Here's a nice long-ish chapter.**

**-Phanny**

**P.S. everyone who has ever PMed me with a question and not received reply needs to look at the message in all caps rage at the very top of my profile. _Please._  
**

* * *

Ember gazed at the grotesque creatures before her. Vlad's methods of creation were obviously more for function than for beauty. Some of the Rakveri were bulky and strong, some weak and sickly but fast, and they all looked hungry for blood. They weren't very smart, but they were eager to please. When Vlad was satisfied, he didn't hurt them, and that was the biggest reward they could ever hope for.

"All right," Ember's voice was sharp. She hated speaking to them - all eyes were on her, and it was incredibly unnerving, "we will leave soon. There will be no gathering, we are not here today for children. Vlad has been planning this day for a long time, and now there are enough of you. Your objective is to destroy all defenses, and kill all who stand in your way. I will bring down Amity Park's shield so that Vlad may enter at last, with any luck, the town will be ashes by nightfall."

"Noni will be there?" One of the Rakveri asked. Ember frowned.

"Noni is a traitor," she said sourly, "she failed her mission, and you will make her pay for her incompetence when you find her. Is that clear?"

All of the Rakveri nodded dumbly. _'Morons,' _Ember thought. Oftentimes she was disappointed with her own kind. She turned around after a moment. The sun was rising.

"Let's go."

* * *

Danny awoke with a sense of foreboding. His stomach churned uneasily, and he couldn't bring himself to eat. The sky was gray and cloudy and it threatened rain. He could smell it in the air. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

"Hey," Danny jumped when Sam spoke, and both she and Tucker sat down on his mattress, where he had been since he woke up that morning.

"Hey…" Danny said absently, and Tucker frowned.

"You eat anything yet?" He asked, "your mo-" he immediately stopped himself, "Mrs. Fenton's a pretty good cook."

"No," Danny replied, "and…you can say who she is if you want. It's weird but…I guess it's true."

"Hm," Sam nodded, then she continued after a pause, "so…you gonna tell us what's bugging you or do we have to force it out of you?"

Danny realized that, even though it annoyed him, they wouldn't relent.

"I can't tell you what's bothering me because _I don't know _what's bothering me," he sighed, "I just…something's gonna happen today, and knowing our luck, it's not going to be good."

"Maybe you're just being paranoid?" Tucker suggested, and received only a sigh in response, "I mean, you've got every right to be. Nothing's really gone our way on this entire trip."

"Understatement of the year," Sam raised an eyebrow at her friend, and Tucker shrugged. Sam put her hand on Danny's back, "you think he knows you're here, don't you?"

"No," Danny sighed, "I _know _he knows we're here. He's followed the entire time, he's predicted our every move…"

"Your parents," Tucker struggled to get the odd-sounding word out, "said they have a shield to keep him out. They say he isn't human. They haven't found any way to keep out the Rakveri yet," Tucker admitted, "but you can take 'em. Hell, so can we."

An almost-smile tugged at Danny's lips for a moment before fading. He still couldn't shake the feeling, but he felt a little better.

Until he heard the sound of shattering glass come from upstairs, at least, and an unfamiliar female voice yelling something indistinct. The voice was unfamiliar to him, anyway. Noni stuck her head from her cage for the first time in days, and she hissed, revealing her long canine teeth. Without a word, she dashed up the stairs, and the trio followed cautiously.

Danny walked up the stairs to find the living room trashed. Noni and a woman with hair like a blue flame were in a stare down, and Maddie, Jack, and Jazz were looking on, Maddie with her finger on the trigger of the gun in her hand.

"Why you come here?" Noni hissed dangerously, "you not welcome. Take friends and leave."

The woman with the flaming hair and neon blue wings glanced at Danny out of the corner of her eye, and then turned her green gaze back to Noni.

"I'm here for him," the woman said, "or, to get him ready for what Vlad plans to do with him. However, I've been ordered to kill you, traitor."

"To betray you must be loyal first," Noni growled, "you never worth Noni's respect," after a moment, Noni decided to emphasize her feelings, "bitch."

The woman leapt at Noni, and Maddie fired her gun from the corner, burning the blue-haired woman's arm and turning her attention away from her target.

"You," she said, glaring at Maddie, and then at Jack, "Vlad would like a word with you two as well."

"Vlad can't set foot here," Maddie insisted. The smug grin on the woman's face grew.

"For now."

With lightning speed, The woman flew up and headed towards the basement, and Danny grabbed her boot in a vain attempt to stop her, but he was pulled along for the ride. He didn't know what she was planning to do, but he knew it wouldn't turn out well for any of them if she was allowed to do it.

Danny was flung off when they reached the basement, and he slammed back into the wall, his vision swimming with the force of the impact.

"You're lucky I have to spare you," the woman said, the venom clear in her voice, "or, knowing Vlad, maybe not." Her hand glowed, and she fired at a single switch on the wall of the basement, creating a show of sparks that burned Danny's eyes. He closed them just before a burst of wind buffeted him in the face. Noni's voice growled something indistinct, but - with another flash of light and a sickening crack, it was cut off. The ground beneath them shook, and when Danny opened his eyes, he realized two things had just occurred. Hearing the panic in the voices upstairs told him that the shield was down, and the pool of blood on the stainless steel floor of the basement told him that Noni was dead.

* * *

**As of right now, I am _still _having second thoughts about doing that. And yet...I couldn't help it. She went out fighting.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Only two more chapter after this one, and I have them both written, so I'm about to flood your inbox.**

**-Phanny**

* * *

Danny didn't know when the realization had hit him, but it hit him hard and hit him fast. He averted his eyes from the blood on the floor, and he tried to resist the bile rising in his throat as he thought of it. This was big now, he realized. People really were in danger. Someone was _dead_. And every bone in his body told him she wouldn't be the only one.

Ember kicked Noni's body out of her way as she casually walked back up the stairs, sure of her victory. Her job was done, maybe now she could have a little fun with these pathetic humans before they met their fate. Danny watched her silently, his head still reeling. She had killed someone. Didn't she feel _anything?_

Danny slowly got up using the wall behind him to keep him steady as he rose to his feet. He didn't look back as she exited the basement – he couldn't look at her. He didn't want to see any more than he had already seen.

He got upstairs, and he slowly realized that everything was worse than he had originally thought. Sam ran over to him, seeing how shaken he was. She must have seen Ember's blood covered hands before the woman had left, because her eyes held a silent question he didn't want to answer. She decided to voice it anyway.

"She's dead, isn't she?" Sam whispered. Danny nodded shakily.

"What happened while I was down there?" He asked. Tucker answered this time.

"Your parents went out to see what was going on," he said, "they told us to stay here."

"And you listened?"

"Not exactly," Sam told him, walking towards the front door, "we were waiting for you. Let's go."

* * *

He was in.

After all of his waiting – _years_ of waiting – Vlad had entered Amity Park. He saw some citizens scatter for safety, and some grabbed weapons and were ready to face him. He almost laughed at their stupidity. Almost.

He looked around for his primary targets. His little Raven, of course – he had been tracking him for so long, though it had been made harder now that he had somehow deactivated the tracking device he had implanted in him. He had always been a frustrating little thing.

But his little blackbird was not his only target. He looked for Jack and Maddie Fenton as well. He had a score to settle with them. They were the ones that changed, albeit accidentally. It didn't matter to Vlad – they had made him become this…thing. They deserved what they got. That was why he had taken their only son; he had planned to make him the most powerful Rakveri he had. What better way to get revenge than to have his enemies destroyed by their own blood? Unfortunately, that was not how it turned out.

Vlad sighed. If you want something done, he thought, you must do it yourself.

* * *

It was worse than anyone had feared. It was worse than anyone in Amity Park had ever witnessed before. Every now and then, five or six Rakveri would invade their town, stealing young children and destroying anything that stood in their way. This time was different.

There weren't five or six Rakveri. No, they were _everywhere._

They weren't stealing children, either. This time they couldn't care less who their targets were – they just saw every citizen scattering in fear, and they were excited by the chase. They didn't want to steal, they wanted to take everything they found and destroy it, and whether those 'things' were human or not didn't matter in the slightest. They only followed one order to the letter – "no one touches the black bird."

Fire. Screams. Blood. Destruction. The creatures had never seen anything more wonderful.

* * *

Danny watched the skies warily. He, Sam, and Tucker took cover in a nearby alleyway, where they could see what was going on without being very visible themselves. All of the Rakveri above seemed to be deliberately ignoring him. He thought that that should be a good thing, but his stomach twisted at all of the reasons he imagined were the cause.

He wanted to tell his friends to hide, but he knew it would be no use. They would insist that he needed them, and he would acknowledge that they were right. He wasn't going to fool himself into thinking he was safe, that he was strong enough to take care of a problem this big.

As he was lost in thought, he felt someone push him aside, and he realized that Sam and Tucker were suddenly standing stiffly in front of him, as if guarding him from something he couldn't quite see over their shoulders.

"Oh," a cold voice made Danny stiffen with horror, "well this is a pleasant surprise. My property _and_ the thieves that took it. This might be more satisfying than I thought."

Vlad stepped towards the three teens confidently, as though he thought his mere presence would shake their resolve. He didn't show it, but Danny knew he was sorely disappointed when his theory proved to be false.

"He's not your property," Sam told Vlad acidly. Her tone almost made Danny want to back away from her. "He never was."

"Well, now. I suppose I could be inclined to believe you, after all, a teenage girl would know more than, say, _the most powerful man on this earth_."

Sam would have responded if she were able, but a blinding red flash made Danny close his eyes, and then a second came along. When he opened his eyes he saw Sam and Tucker on the ground on either side of the alley, unconscious.

Vlad, having clear view of his prize, noticed the boy began to shake. What he didn't know was that he wasn't quaking from fear or even cold. The boy looked up at his former master that almost made Vlad take a step back. The boy wasn't crying, he wasn't shivering.

Vlad realized how bad he had messed up. His eyes showed a tiny glint of fear. This was the boy he had trained to be stronger than his other slaves…

…and he was _pissed._

* * *

**Shit just got real.  
**


	18. Chapter 18

Danny wasn't sure what came over him. He had _never_ felt this way before. He had _never_ wanted to hurt someone this badly. He had never felt this kind of anger. The man before him was stronger than him, he figured – he never thought of himself as particularly strong.

He knew that there were deep-seated emotions between him and Vlad since he was very young, but he had never realized exactly how much he _hated _this man. His movements were almost automatic, like he couldn't control. His fist hit Vlad's face with a satisfying sound he couldn't describe, and it knocked the man backwards he couple of steps. Danny just kept going before Vlad could react. He wished he could completely ignore how _incredible _this felt. He couldn't help but wonder how long he had wanted to do this.

Unfortunately, these thoughts worked to Vlad's advantage. Danny was slightly distracted, and his movements were slower. The now bloodied man grabbed the winged boy by his throat, and Danny froze for a moment before desperately digging his nails into Vlad's hand, trying in vain to loosen his grip. He tried to fight the effects – his vision began to swim, his body began to grow numb, his effort to struggle was waning slightly, the corners of his vision were growing dark except for a green light coming toward him and his soon-to-be murderer. One of the last things he heard was a man's enraged shout.

"_Not my son!"_

Danny didn't feel impact directly, but he felt Vlad stumble at the force of the blast, dropping Danny roughly on the ground, and he winced as he felt his head hit the hard pavement. Danny coughed and wheezed, trying desperately to get the air his body was so desperate for. He slightly regretted breathing in through his nose as the disgusting smell of burning skin and toxic-smelling smoke overwhelmed him.

Danny instinctively closed his wings around himself to protect him from further harm. He was so tired, he felt like he had swallowed a razor blade, he was bruised, and he just wanted to forget everything. Maybe, he thought, if he closed his eyes for a moment, he could.

The last words he heard were fuzzy and distorted bites of sound. He heard a female voice next to his ear.

"_Get them all inside…hit his head…please…stay awake…"_

He wished he could obey, really, he did.

* * *

Danny knew his situation had changed when he was suddenly resting on something soft. The comfort that brought, unfortunately, could not make up for his sore muscles and his throbbing head.

He wished he was in one of those stories Sam had read to him, where a person would awaken and not remember what had occurred that put them to sleep. He remembered vividly what had happened. Right from the moment when Vlad showed up and he—

Danny's eyes shot open.

'_Sam __and __Tucker.__' _

His muscles told him it wasn't a good idea, but Danny shot upright immediately, his head spinning. _Where __were__ Sam __and__ Tucker? _That thought was all his mind could handle at the moment – everything else was irrelevant.

"You're up," Danny saw his mother standing in the doorway of the room he was in. Her eyes were clouded with worry, "but that doesn't mean you look all right. You should rest some more."

"Where are they?" Danny didn't care if he was being rude, or if his throat still felt like talking was out of the question.

To his surprise, she laughed good-naturedly, "just your rotten luck that you wake up in the few minutes that they aren't watching you like a hawk. They got some burns but they're fine. I made them go and eat something."

Danny almost fell over in relief. He stood up, but stumbled, his vision spinning. His mother helped him walk, even though she obviously wanted to tell him to lie back down. He ignored this too, but he convinced himself that he should do so later, and maybe even apologize for being rude.

He froze when he reached the kitchen, and he realized within minutes that trying to move more would have been futile anyway. Judging by the tight – really unbearably tight, but he enjoyed it – embrace he was caught in, he wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

"I thought you were gone," was the first thing Danny could managed to choke out, "I woke up and I thought I would never see you again and that it would all be because of me…"

"It's a good thing you're wrong a lot of the time then," Tucker said matter-of-factly.

"Well that was uncalled for. You're mean and I don't think I want to hug you anymore."

* * *

Danny had never truly been alone in a room with a girl so long before without saying anything. All he could do was stare at Sam as she changed the bandage on his head for him. He wanted to tell her how he felt, he really did. Now that he felt truly free and out of danger, he couldn't stop thinking about it, even after all that time of convincing himself that these feelings would go away. He once again wished he was in one of Sam's books – the ones where confessing love was so easy.

"Danny?" Sam looked at him, concerned, "you okay?"

"Huh?" Danny snapped out of his thoughts, "uhm…yeah."

Sam narrowed her eyes. Danny looked away and mumbled something almost inaudible.

"Sorry, what?" Sam asked him.

"Uhm…I…I said no. I actually…I actually don't feel very okay," he said, his voice still quite low, "I want to tell you something but…I think you won't like it."

"Well now you've gone and made me curious," Sam nudged him playfully, "come on…out with it."

Danny felt like his voice was suddenly gone. He knew what he wanted to say, he really did but…he couldn't. He took a deep breath – he had to try.

"I love both you and Tucker, I told you that," he began, "but it's not the same. Like, when we're together I feel…different and I…"

He had absolutely no idea what made him do what he did next. He clumsily pressed his lips to hers, excitedly noticing that she didn't pull away from disgust. A shock went through his body, and even though it was nothing like his fight with Vlad, he couldn't help but have the same thought - how long had he wanted to do _this_ too?

He was the one to break them apart, though he didn't want to. He realized that he was a horrible multi-tasker – he couldn't kiss and breathe at the same time, and it was one or the other.

Both he and Sam were silent for a while, but it didn't feel like an uncomfortable silence like he would have expected.

"Danny?" Sam finally spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"I love you too."

Danny wrapped her in an embrace tight enough to rival the one she and Tucker had given him earlier. She took the chance to whisper in his ear.

"But I really need to teach you how to kiss."

* * *

**Danny's a bad kisser.**

**Also:  
**

**I know you're thinking it.**

_**"NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH."**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Raven, a Danny Phantom fanfic by PhantomInvader.**

**2008-2011**

**-Phanny**

* * *

"_Here Lies Noni_

_Fighter Until the Very End"_

It had taken the trio forever to decide what to say. They really didn't think they knew enough about her to say anything meaningful, but they tried as hard as they could.

They shivered, the weather in the barren field in which they stood being damp and cold, staring at the stone they had found and painted on to mark Noni's grave.

The Rakveri had disappeared after Vlad's death, confused and scared and having nowhere to go and no orders to follow. No one was too worried – they had proven in the past that, on their own, they were too stupid to be much of a threat.

It felt strange, talking to a rock, but they couldn't just leave without saying a few words for their fallen companion.

"Well," Sam began, "we probably never would have been friends…I never thought you cared about anyone but yourself, but you sacrificed yourself for people you didn't really know. I felt like I couldn't trust you, but now I know I can but it's too late for me to apologize."

"You were weird – you talked funny, ate raw meat, and hissed at small children and animals but…after we said we could protect you from Vlad, you didn't turn your back on us." Tucker spoke next, his words awkward and sounding as thought they had been made up on the spot.

Danny had no idea what to say – well, he did, but he couldn't put it into words.

"You protected me from that girl," he began slowly, "even when she said she was going to kill you, you didn't run away from her, you didn't let her take me away. Uhm…thanks for that."

Sam placed a small flower she had found nearby on the makeshift grave.

"Well, you certainly won't be easy to forget," she said. She looked at Danny and Tucker, and they read her thoughts perfectly. _So__…__do __we __go __now __or __what?_

Both boys nodded, and they walked back towards Amity Park, ready to return to the new life that they had worked so hard for. Danny slowed his pace and looked back.

"_Goodbye.__" _It was barely whisper.

She couldn't hear him anyway.

* * *

**Go ahead and say it. I deserve it.**

**"THREE FUCKING YEARS PHANNY. IT TOOK YOU THREE FUCKING YEARS."**


End file.
